The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-30
A STRANGE STORY.
The Romance OF an Escaped convict
from Jeffersonville Penitentiary.

From the Lousri''a Times
Every day it is becoming more evident
that there is a tinge of romance IN every
mans life and a skeleton in every closet.
About two years ago Charles Bremen,
well-to-do gentleman who live, in Jefferson
vile, but who formerly lived in Germany,
concluded to pay visit 20 the Fatherand.
After seeing the sights of the great cities,
and shaking hands with his old friends. he
found himself in Stuckhardt, about ten
miles from the city of Tile. on the Cd'pa-
THAN mountains. He registered at quaint
LITTLE inn, aud wrote opposite his name
"Jetfersonville, Ind, l. $. A. After
eating dinner, about such as one would
imagine could be found iii such
quiet little hamlet, he walked out
to the veranda, near where the
register stood, on a small old-fashioned
desk, and was soon interested in The Alnerl-
can telegraph news In a short time he saw
the jolly old inn-keeper walk up to the reg
lister, and when he reached his guests name
he suddenly grew pale and looked as II he
| had seen ghost. At length the landlord
walked over to the gentleman and trem-
blmgly asked what business he followed IN
Jacksonville. When informed that the
American was merely a business man, and
and was only over on a visit TO his Old
| friends the landlord hoaved a sigh of relief
and the color came back to his checks.
Several days atterward the guest decided
| to take a ramble over the whlte-capped
summit of a neighboring mountain. His
host volunteered to accompany him, and
| after several hours of weary climbing they
| found themselves upon the highest point.
| Being tired, they sat down upon a huge
moss-covered rock. Suddenly the old man,
whose hair and beard was silvery white,
and whose step was lettering, turned to his
+l,c.,
| unnatural tone:
| do You know that have wanted to talk
to you for several Gays: l at one time
lived in Jacksonville. Did you ever hear
OF Charles Goetzf'
| The young man replied that he had not,
and asked where and under what circum-
| stances this Old inn-keepsr could have been
i'll America. After nusing awhile the old
man replied in response to the young mans
| inquiries:
! xWell, it's a long story, but will tell it 70
| YOU, because | am satisfied no harm can
! come of it now. Ny mother was a rich
woman, and was her only son. We kept
this very same hotel .iXty years ago, and |
was born under its ancient roof. In 1913 the
| New World offered fattering inducements
| to our young men. and. after consulting
with my most intimate friend Of those days,
| William Gross, we concluded to brave the
| perils of an ocean voyage and the dangers
OF being scalped by Indians, and despite the
fearful entreaties of my aged mother we
went away. Oh, it was an awful thing for
me. We stopped in New York, but there
the cry was Westward, hor and toward the
| Occident we turned our footsteps
Arriving in Jacksonville we both Sc
cured work with "a butcher named John C.
Stewart. We got small pay and worked
hard. Near us lived a young gardener
named Emile Hertz. He had charge of q
large summer garden. He was a good
fellow, and we all soon became good friends
Every night, while drinking beer together
| We would talk of the Fatherland and wish
ourselves back at home.
| Zone night, ! remember it well-it was
| March l, lS49-we came III town as usual
The devil must have possessed me that
night. We were all pretty drunk, and at a
late hour started for home. When near the
outskirts of the city Gross called me aside
and told me if ever | wanted TO get home
now was the chance to do so.
Hertz had money, he said, and it would
be an easy matter TO xiii him and take it.
After much pe,suation / consented. We
then slipped behind the unSlspecting man,
and Gross struck him with the Ratchet The
poor fellow dropped without a gToan, his
brains bespattering the sidewalk. Tremb-
ling with fear we carried the body across
a commons and buried it in a manure pile.
That night sleep never visited my eyes. All
night long | lay and thought of the awful
crime i'll which | was participant. We Sc
cured but two silver dollars from the dead
Body, which we divided
Next morning Hertz was missed, and
large parties searched high and low for him.
We, i'll our bloody clothes, joined in the
search to ward Off suspicion. At length a
small boy vino drove cart saw human
arm sticking out of the manure pile. The
officers came, the body was taken out, and
we were almost crazy lest we should be sus-
pected. The body was found to be wrapped
in my coat. had thrown it over his face
to keep Off the dirt.
"We We're arrested, and the next morn
lug were given preliminary hearing III an
Old market house near the river. Our
clothes were bloody and guilt was depicted
! on every feature. Well, to make a long
story short, we were found guilty, after the
trial. which was taken to New Albany on a
change Of venue, and both were sentenced
TO be hanged. | was bright-faced youth
Of "A years-that was 50 years ago. Gov.
Wright committed my sentence to imprison-
ment for life
In June, 1850, poor Gross was hanged
and was placed in prison. / wrote to my
mother and told her the whole circuni.
stances. She gathered together what money
she could and came to see me. She stopped
at Louisville, across the river, and hired a
| ueutCuNs 10 aNSlsI me III escaping. III Cost
her 500 to get me out, but she did so. A
guard was bri5od, and he let me out one
dark, rainy night. We went to Louisville
where got citizens clothes, and after much
trouble reached the Atlantic sea coast. We
boarded a ship, and was soon on my way
to home and freedom. | married, and the
pretty girls you see about you are my
daughters Tncy little know the terrible
secret | have kept for thirty-five years.
IL hardly know why have told you this
story, but you must promise never to repeat
it, at least not on this side of the ocean,
Mr.. Bremen told a reporter of the matter,
and intimated that he did not believe it,
thinking the old man was crazy, and this
story was simply one of his hallucinations.
The reporter, however, thought perhaps
there might be something in it. ana searched
among the musty old records f6r the
case. At length he found it,
and, after talking with a
number of old citizens, learned that every
detail as given in the old mans narrative
was true. The name of the guard who wa
bribed was always thought to he Ed Schel
He was suspected by the warden and wa,
discharged. Twenty-Five years later hC
came into prison convict. and served two
years for arson. He had set fire to his owl
house in order 10 secure the insurance. lie
died pauper ..